A fragile teenage girl from Pakistan has become a symbol of perseverance, will and sheer determination almost overnight. Her story reminded me of another one, set in a small village in Eastern Hungary, a century earlier.
The story is about a little girl who had a passion for knowledge, the desire to explore and a dream of becoming a doctor one day. In her case neither the passion, nor the desire was enough to get her an education. She was allowed only to finish 3rd grade. She had two strikes against her from the beginning. One, she was a girl and two, she happened to be a Jewish girl. Schools were operated by the church (either Protestant or Catholic) back then, and only a certain amount of Jewish students were accepted. Girls were not given a priority, so as soon as they learned to read and write, they were out.
The little girl grew up to be a wonderful and strong woman. Without a formal education, her instincts, intelligence and inherent smarts helped her navigate through the maze of life. She did not become a doctor, nor a lawyer, but her passion for knowledge never faded. This strong woman was my grandmother, Olga.
Malala and Olga, on opposite ends of the religious and geographic spectrum, shared very similar experiences. The difference is Malala has a voice now. She won`t be ignored nor silenced. Malala is a hero to many, Olga is the biggest hero to me.
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